This invention relates to a decocking mechanism for semi-automatic handguns, or pistols, in which operation of the mechanism will cause the sear to release the hammer from its fully cocked position to a half-cocked position. More particularly, this invention relates to an effective and reliable decocking mechanism which includes means rotatable to pivot the sear to release the hammer for movement to the half-cocked notch of the hammer and to pivot the drawbar to clear the sear so that the trigger cannot fire the gun when it is being decocked.
Semi-automatic firearms have, for a number of years, been provided with decocking levers which have gained acceptance among handgun users. One such decocking lever is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,863, dated Nov. 13, 1984.
While, in particular pistol models, decocking levers of this and other similar types have proven to be suitable for their intended purposes of decocking the hammer, these mechanisms have not found wide acceptance because, as constructed, they are not adaptable to various models. In this connection, a Sig Sauer handgun is presently available with a decocking lever that serves to release the sear and also to control the movement of the hammer from its fully cocked to its half-cocked position. In this model, the decocking lever, hammer and sear are all generally disposed in the same vertical plane as the firing mechanism. While this planar relationship of the decocking lever and the hammer is suitable for Sig Sauer's firing mechanisms, it is not adaptable to many other types of handguns, commercially available, including those manufactured by Smith & Wesson. Those models include a bifurcated drawbar with portions that extend from the trigger on opposite sides of the magazine and a cross-bar portion which engages the rear of the sear to pull it forward to release the hammer.
The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved decocking mechanism for semi-automatic firearms in which the movement of the sear to release the hammer from its cocked position, movement of the hammer to its half-cocked position and movement of the drawbar to clear the sear are controlled by a downwardly, pivotable decocking lever disposed adjacent to one side of the plane of movement of the hammer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a simple and reliable decocking mechanism which is adapted for installation on existing models of handguns without the necessity of modifying the guns' firing mechanism.